Amanda Bynes puts on another 'Amanda Show'

I can’t bring myself to follow Amanda Bynes on Twitter. Her downward spiral over the last few months, while undeniably amusing, has just been too depressing to be chronicled all over my Twitter feed.

I don’t pretend this makes me some sort of hero. Just because I don’t give Amanda the attention she so desperately craves doesn’t mean I haven’t been an active member of the pop culture consuming population who created her.

When Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan — who arguably remains on a sort of semi-downward spiral — had their respective public breakdowns, I couldn’t get enough of the media exposure. When Britney was hospitalized Jan. 3, 2008, I sat up on my computer until the early hours of the morning, indulging in the rampant coverage allotted to the pop star.  

So why did I follow Britney and Lindsay like the Pied Piper of Crazytown and now observe Amanda with a passing curiosity? I’d love to think its maturity, but let’s not fool ourselves here.

The truth of the matter is when Britney and Lindsay were consumed by the fame machine and spit back out, they were at the top of their games. Britney consistently turned out hit records and singles. Lindsay was a cinematic teen princess, garnering both critical acclaim and sizable box office returns. They were household names, they were good girls gone bad, and we got to watch the TMZ videos.

Amanda Bynes, former star of “The Amanda Show” and dancing lobster aficionado, is simply bored with her phone and seeking the fame she no longer has. At the risk of superficially equating and glorifying celebrity breakdowns, Amanda has nothing on Britney or Lindsay. The bottom line is Amanda has never been household name among the likes of Miss Spears or Miss Lohan.

Another hugely prominent fact is Amanda’s breakdown is almost entirely rooted on Twitter. We wouldn’t know this breakdown was happening unless she live tweeted every “twerk out” or nose job. Why? Because the paparazzi wouldn’t have cared, so we wouldn’t have seen it.

Amanda is going out of her way to have a breakdown. Granted, I wasn’t there to witness the mechanics behind Britney and Lindsay losing their marbles, but their breakdowns were played out like tragedies. They were lost, talented girls who strayed from the path laid out for them by managers, agents and the media. Amanda is tweeting out semi-nude photos and puckering those pastel painted lips. It’s not entertainment, it’s just sad.